Good and Bad Hair

Yesterday I went to see Chris Rock's advanced premier of "Good Hair". I was hoping to learn something I didn't already know all the while being entertained in the process. Instead, I laughed at Chris Rock's shock into the perm and weave business empire, none of which is new to me.

Stars like Nia Long, Raven Simone, Lauren London, Meagan Good, and Maya Angelou offered their opinions on the good hair/bad hair question.In the movie you learn about the harsh chemicals of perms (not news to me...I've had chemical burns many times in my life and am currently dealing with the aftermath of my last burn), how expensive weave is (I now this all too well as a near lifetime purchaser of weave), and that human hair comes from out of the country, (Rock visited India in the movie, but if he'd properly done his homework, most black women don't wear Indian hair. It's too expensive!!! Most human hair that black women wear come from China or a yak.)

Rock also didn't discuss WHY black women are so obsessed with hair and why they're willing to torture themselves to fix their "bad hair". The documentary basically says that magazines are why black women are sacrificing their follicles, health, and rent money to get long silky locs. I agree and don't agree with this. It really does depend on the magazine you're reading. Black hair magazines, which are sourced in the film, like Black Hair Sophisticates and beauty hair magazines from hair shows almost always have relaxed hair styles with a few pages set aside for "natural" hair. In most high fashion and white magazines, there's always that one black girl in the group and she almost always has a natural style.

As a woman who has been getting perms since she was seven and wearing weaves since I was eleven I have been thorugh the perm and weave gamet and back. I have dyed my hair, worn a short hair cut, worn wigs and weaves, worn my hair natural, had box braids and micro braids...e'rythang!!! I don't have an answer for this problem (best described as possible self hatred) and neither does Chris Rock. Instead, the choice belongs to the millions of black women and a few men (how-you-doin'-Al-Sharpton!) who fuel this multi-billion dollar industry everyday.

Ass Whoopings, Beatings, Spankings, and Punishment

I was beaten as a child.

I wasn't beaten to the point of hospitalization like my cousins. This is why for years I thought I wasn't abused. Some of my friends have had cracked ribs, been beaten with sordidly invented duct tape bound extention cords, and had hot water poured on them before beatings so that the sting of the whip would be more painful. The fact that I was kicked in the air before I reached the ground doesn't really sound as bad as the previously mentioned.

Not all black folks were beaten as children. My family went from being poverty stricken and homelessness to middle class before my very eyes. As I child I could share my "whippin'" stories with my friends and we'd laugh til the tears rolled. Now I've had to lock those stories up somewhere dark inside so I don't scare potential mates and future friends.

Even though there are a lot of blacks who haven't been beaten, there still are a lot of blacks who've been. There are still many more who feel that being beaten is a part of the "Black Experience". I am not one of those people.

I was watching "The View" on DVR and couldn't help but see guest panelist LaToya Jackson whitewash the abuse her family experienced at the hands of her father. I don't think Michael exaggerated when he descirbed Joe Jackson's beatings being so severe he'd throw up when he knew his father was approaching. This was something he talked about before any scadals ever broke about him; these allegations weren't some vain attempt to color over misdeeds.

Growing up I've heard that Michael Jackson's crazy antics were no excuse. After all, we've all been beaten. People always talk about how I got beat, and I turned out ust fine. Even I used to say this. But have we really? I don't think so. Instead of trying to defend bad behaviors as a part of our culture we really should shed them. Don't get me wrong, we shouldn't throw the baby out with the bath water (I'm not giving up by black dialect!) but we can stop beating the hell out of our children and we can start eating healthier.

Sex and Travel

I just finished reading a memoir about a cuddly perverted bachelor who details his sexual exploits with women around the world. Reading this novel exposed my own naivete. I hadn't realized just how many willing women there are willing to satisfy the thirsty and insecure needs of sexually inadequate men. I sat and read the book in a few short hours and recounted the numerous advances and propositions I've recieved in my young 26 years.

I'm often chided for my conservative stance on dating, relationships, and (dare I say it!) courtship. Men are either repelled or intrigued. However they feel, I'm not giving up the drawers!

This young bachelor spoke of how he'd traveled all the way to Denmark to have sex with a brazen blonde with an acute case of jungle fever. Ms. Booty Mama welcomed him initially and as they had little to nothing in common, and his sexual release craved within three minutes of their initial encounter, the trip quickly turns bad. The part of this stroy that struck me was how willing this young man was willing to travel for a little peice of ass. Ass it only took him three minutes to fuck.

The thing about this is that people do this all the time. I just don't get it. I know I'm famous the world over for my prudish behavior and puritanical attitude. But don't let this fool you, and can be quite the sex kitten when a deserving candidate finally comes along. I'v eonly traveled outside this country once. I was literally chased down the street, followed into clubs, had men jump inside my taxi, all hoping to get a taste of a little brown sugar. Every night I had to run home; I've never been so toned.

Work

I love the librarian profession. I enjoy helping patrons with research, in the process I always learn something new myself. I have a daily set of routine rituals that I go through that make the library fluid and more accessible. I love the time to think, and the opportunity to learn that presents itself everyday. This is why I joined this profession in the first place.

The thing that makes my job SUCK is my coworkers. They are nasty, backbiting, and petty. It is very frustrating to work your hardest only to be rewarded with the most unflattering unapreciation. For instance, I would arrive to work about a half hour early. This is not easy inasmuch as my commute is two hours long and I take two trains and a bus to get there. Every one else in my office drives to work and thier commute is less than twenty minutes. I am often there in the snow, when the other librarians refuse to come out. They refuse to give me a key to the door, and I often sit in the elements waiting for someone to come in and open the door.

I am also the youngest librarian on my job by about 40 years. Of course I know more about computers than all of the other librarians. This causes a lot of grief tension. The librarians would rather call an IT person to come and help them with a PowerPoint slide, than to ask me to help. Even when I offer my assistance, it has been decided that I'm useless with computers. I could be such an asset to my co-workers, yet they'd rather shun me, and complain about everything I do.

So, if anyone knows of a great library job that is looking for a fast, productive, knowledable librarian - I'm your girl!